


Of Sunflowers and Eternity

by SecretMaker



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Changelings, Haikyuu!! Fantasy Exchange 2018, M/M, Magic, Magical Realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 01:29:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16440476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretMaker/pseuds/SecretMaker
Summary: Kenma has a secret, one that he will take to his grave. But falling in love with Hinata changes his plans, and throws them both into a world of danger that they can only face down together.





	Of Sunflowers and Eternity

**Author's Note:**

> For [SilverLiningsLurk](http://silverlingingslurk.tumblr.com)

The thing about Kenma was that he couldn’t lie. Most of the time he covered that fact up by being blunt to the point of rudeness, making it nothing more than a personality trait that people came to expect from him. Other times he was able to lie by omission, or by hiding the truth under layers and layers of other truths, so much so that only Kuroo had ever discovered his secret. Kenma had every intention of keeping it that way.

  


But it was harder with Hinata. Kenma found he didn’t want to lie to Hinata, didn’t want to hide the truth from him. He found he wanted to tell Hinata everything, and that was something that could get him killed.

  


It was a normal Sunday afternoon in Tokyo, five years after graduating high school. Hinata was in his last year of college, and professional teams had been beating down their door for months. Kenma relished the chaos, because it distracted Hinata from what was growing between them, what could not be allowed to see the light of day. But Hinata would only be distracted for so long.

  


“Kenma, I’m home,” he called, shutting the front door behind him and toeing off his shoes.

  


“Welcome home,” Kenma said without looking up from his game. He could hear Hinata shuffling around, putting down his bag and taking off his outer layers, but still he didn’t look up. Not even when Hinata flopped onto the couch beside him did he tear his attention away from the pixelated enemies in front of him. He only looked up when he beat the level and reached the save point beyond.

  


Hinata was grinning at him, and as soon as Kenma looked up, he flopped into Kenma’s lap, smiling up at him like a glow of sunshine on a hillside in late August. Kenma narrowed his eyes at him.

  


“What.” he said. Hinata grinned wider.

  


“You’re pretty,” he told him. Kenma couldn’t stop the way his cheeks went warm, looking anywhere but at Hinata. “Even when you do that,” Hinata continued, a bulldozer through the wall of tension, “when you hide behind your hair like that? You’re pretty even then.” Kenma made a face at him and he laughed. “Yep,” he said. “Still pretty.”

  


“Why are you like this?” Kenma muttered. Hinata seemed to hesitate for a moment, then his grin turned into something softer, something meant only for Kenma. It filled Kenma with dread.

  


“Because I like you,” Hinata said, and Kenma’s heart shattered. He could see the way it had taken everything Hinata had to tell him that. He could see Hinata’s hands shaking and his cheeks flushing, but he could also see the way he stared up at Kenma unrepentant and unwilling to pretend it hadn’t happened. Kenma did the only thing he could think to do. He shoved Hinata off of him and ran for the door.

  


It didn’t occur to Kenma that Hinata could outrun him if he wanted. He still stuck to human modes of transportation, jogging down the street to the train station and thanking his lucky stars that the next one to Kuroo’s side of town was leaving in less than a minute. He darted on board and let the door close behind him, panting and panicked. A few people looked up at him, startled, but for once he paid them no mind. He found a seat and sat in it, staring resolutely out the window until the people looked away.

  


It wasn’t until he was at Kuroo’s station that he realized he should probably let him know he was coming over. He shrugged, ignoring the thought. Kuroo had never cared before when he’d shown up unannounced, and Kenma wasn’t about to let him start now. Kenma marched right up to his apartment and pounded on the door.

  


It took a moment before Kuroo appeared, throwing the door open like he was ready for a fight. He caught sight of Kenma and blinked.

  


“Kenma!” he cried. “I thought you were- thought you were someone else. Why didn’t you just use your key?”

  


“Left it at home,” Kenma said, shouldering his way into the apartment. He dropped onto the couch with a sigh, not offering Kuroo any help when he picked up his legs for a place to sit. Kuroo dropped Kenma’s legs into his lap and ran a thumb across his anklebone.

  


“What’s wrong?” he asked.

  


“Everything,” Kenma answered.

  


“Stop being dramatic.”

  


“Make me.”

  


Kuroo poked Kenma in the side. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he said softly.

  


“It’s Shouyou,” Kenma sighed, deciding it would be easier in the long run to let Kuroo have his way - no matter how much he hated letting him win.

  


“What, is the shrimp still acting oblivious?” Kuroo asked.

  


“No. He told me he liked me.”

  


“And that’s a problem how?”

  


“Because he can’t be with me.”

  


“Hang on,” Kuroo said, “is this something he told you, or something you decided?”

  


“He can’t,” Kenma insisted. “You know he can’t, I’m a-”

  


Just at that moment there came another pounding at the door. Kuroo swore. “Sorry about this, kitten,” he said softly. Then he lifted Kenma’s legs off of him and went to answer the door. Kenma craned his neck to see who could be causing such a racket, then wondered why he had even wondered.

  


“Kuroo, let me in,” Daishou shouted, pounding on the door some more. Kuroo jerked it open.

  


“You’re gonna get me in trouble with all my neighbors,” he said. “Again. Go away, Suguru.”

  


“Don’t you _Suguru_ me,” Daishou hissed. “You let me in there and talk to me like a grown up or so help me-”

  


“This isn’t a good time,” Kuroo said.

  


“Right,” Daishou snorted, and shoved his way past. He stopped in the genkan, and said, “Oh,” when he caught sight of Kenma. “Hey, is everything okay?” he asked, coming to perch on the arm of the chair near Kenma’s head.

  


The thing was, Kenma liked Daishou, and always had. Sure, he was a greasy, conniving, evil snake, but that was what Kenma liked about him. And he knew Daishou cared about him in return.

  


He didn’t know why he did it. Maybe he was tired of holding this secret by himself for so long. Maybe he knew Kuroo would never really trust him with this himself, that it had to be Kenma who told him. Maybe he was just desperate.

  


“I’m not human,” Kenma blurted, then stared up at Daishou in horror.

  


Daishou- Daishou blinked. Then he smiled. “Sweetheart, I know that,” he said.

  


“How can you possibly _know_ that?” Kuroo hissed, still standing over by the door.

  


Daishou rolled his eye. “It’s not hard to figure out when you know the signs,” he said. Then he got a strange look on his face and shook his head. “So, why is that a problem?” he asked.

  


Kenma paused for just a moment before throwing caution to the wind. He told Daishou everything, about how he was in love with Hinata, how he couldn’t be with him, how nothing was fair in the world because of it.

  


“Well, why can’t you be with him?” Daishou asked. Kenma blinked at him.

  


“I’m a changeling. Weren’t you paying attention?” he asked.

  


“No, I got that part,” Daishou said. “What I don’t get is why that means you can’t be with him.”

  


“Oh, I thought you knew,” Kenma said. “It’s not like it’s a secret.”

  


“Not like what’s a secret?” Daishou asked.

  


“Hinata’s from a magical family,” Kuroo said, coming toward them at last. He settled in at Kenma’s feet and grabbed one with a large, soothing hand. “Kenma’s type are their natural enemies. Most magicians hunt faeries for their power.”

  


“That doesn’t mean Hinata will,” Daishou said. “The kid’s a ball of sunshine. He couldn’t hurt a fly.”

  


“That’s what I keep telling him,” Kuroo said. “But it never seems to stick.” He pinched Kenma’s ankle teasingly.

  


“You’d be just as cautious in my place,” Kenma muttered.

  


“I think you’re being prejudiced,” Daishou said, “not cautious. I get that it’s scary, and that you can’t know for sure what he will and won’t do, but come on. It’s Hinata. That kid is completely in love with you. He’d never hurt you.”

  


“I know that,” Kenma muttered, utterly miserable.

  


“What, then?”

  


“His family,” Kenma explained. “What if he wants me to meet his family? What if they figure out what I am? What then?”

  


And that was the scariest thought. That he could have Hinata, and lose him anyway to the swinging pendulum of fate. Daishou made a soft, soothing noise in the back of his throat and stroked through Kenma’s hair.

  


“That’s a risk that you’re going to have to take,” he said.

  


-

  


Shouyou was freaking out, and when Shouyou freaked out there was one person who always managed to calm him down.

  


“Bokuto-senpai-I-need-your-help-I-just-confessed-to-Kenma-and-he-freaked-out-and-left,” he shouted as he could as soon as he opened the door.

  


“Okay, slow down, short stuff, and run that by me one more time,” Bokuto said, blinking down at him and smiling. Shouyou took a deep breath and repeated his message, more slowly this time. Bokuto listened to the whole story as he pulled off his shoes and wandered into Shouyou’s kitchen with a bag that smelled suspiciously like meat. By the time Shouyou got to the end of it, he had already dished up two plates of yakiniku and rice. Shouyou hopped up into the bar stool and started shoveling food into his mouth while Bokuto thought over his story.

  


“So he just left?” Bokuto asked around a mouthful of beef. “Did he say where he was going?”

  


“No, but I think we both know where he went,” Shouyou said.

  


“Fair enough,” Bokuto said. “So, why d’you think he left?”

  


“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Shouyou said. “He doesn’t like me back. I freaked him out, telling him that, and now he’s run away and I’ll never see him again! This is the worst day ever!” He dropped his forehead onto the counter and bit his lip; he could feel the prickle of tears at the backs of his eyes, and that was the last thing he wanted just then.

  


“I don’t think that’s it,” Bokuto said slowly. Shouyou peeled an eye open to look up at him. Bokuto was staring off into space, but then Shouyou raised his head and he looked at him.

  


“What do you mean?” Shouyou asked.

  


“I mean, I think he likes you an awful lot,” Bokuto said. “I think he loves you. I just think he’s scared.”

  


“Why would he be scared of me?” Shouyou asked, cocking his head. Bokuto nodded toward Shouyou’s hands, sitting on either side of his bowl.

  


“Magic users and faeries haven’t exactly had a long history of peace and prosperity,” he said.

  


“What does that have to do with Kenma?” Shouyou asked.

  


“Oh you precious moron,” Bokuto said.

  


“Hey,” squawked Shouyou. “You’re no mental giant yourself!”

  


“Now’s not the time for personal attacks,” Bokuto laughed. He sobered. “Now, what I’m about to tell you isn’t a secret, though Kenma thinks it is. I just want you going in with the most information you can, so that you don’t end up hurting him. But you can’t go sharing this information willy-nilly, got it?”

  


“Got it,” Shouyou said gravely.

  


“Kenma’s a changeling. A faerie child swapped for a human one in the cradle. I don’t know who his faerie parents were, or why they stole the human baby, but Kenma’s never made any indication that he wants to go back to the faerie world, so we’ve all decided to just live with him as though there were nothing different about him. But he’s never told anyone, except maybe Kuroo, so you gotta be gentle when you break it to him that you know, okay?” Bokuto asked. Shouyou nodded.

  


“But, why does that mean he had to run away?” Shouyou asked.

  


“Because magicians in this country have a history of trapping faeries and stealing their magic away, leaving them husks of bodies,” Bokuto explained.

  


“But I would never hurt Kenma!” Shouyou cried.

  


“You gotta admit though, it’s an awful big risk he’s taking, even being your friend. Anything more than that is just foolish, really. It’s gotta be scary for him.” Bokuto put a hand on Shouyou’s shoulder. “I know you would never hurt him. And more importantly, so does Kuroo, or he would never have let you near him. But Kenma himself might take some convincing.”

  


“Well, how do I do that?” Shouyou asked.

  


“You gotta figure that one out on your own, kiddo,” Bokuto said, ruffling Shouyou’s hair. Shouyou thought about it, and an inkling of a plan began to formulate in his mind.

  


“Okay,” he said slowly. “I think I got it. But I’m gonna need your help with something, and I need you not to laugh at me when I tell you what it is.”

  


“You got it,” Bokuto chuckled.

  


“You’re already laughing!” Shouyou wailed.

  


“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Bokuto said, holding his hands out in front of him. “Just tell me what you need and I’ll see if I can help.”

  


-

  


Kenma didn’t know what he expected when he came home after hours of arguing with Daishou at Kuroo’s apartment, but it wasn’t this. It wasn’t Hinata in his very nicest clothes, darting into the kitchen with a squeak when he noticed Kenma at the door, holding a flower pot filled with soil.

  


“No, go away!” Hinata shouted, and Kenma’s heart sank. “It’s not ready yet!”

  


Despite himself, Kenma was curious. “What’s not ready?” he asked, not quite willing to step out of the safety of the genkan, but not ready to leave yet either.

  


“The pie,” Hinata called, and that was when the scent of apples and cinnamon hit him. Kenma dropped his bag and groaned.

  


“You made me an apple pie?” he asked.

  


“Um.” Hinata appeared around the doorway, looking sheepish. “Bokuto-senpai made it, actually. I’m just in charge of taking it out of the oven on time.” Kenma’s mouth watered. Bokuto’s pies were to die for, cultivated from a lifetime of stress baking and just a little bit of Luck. But there was something - or someone - more important than pie standing in front of him, and Kenma was determined not to let him escape the confrontation they needed to have.

  


“Listen, Shouyou,” he said, cringing at how awkward he was. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  


“I need to talk to you about something too,” Hinata said. “Or rather, show you something.”

  


“Show me what?” Kenma asked. Hinata lifted the pot in his hands, then set it on the ground.

  


“Give me your hands,” he said. Kenma did so without question. Hinata smiled at that, some soft little thing that did things to Kenma’s heart. He brushed his thumbs across Kenma’s knuckles, and then began to hum.

  


Kenma had only seen Hinata work magic a handful of times. It was something he delighted in, but also something he respected, never wanting to treat it lightly or casually. Hinata crouched, drawing Kenma down with him. He pressed their joined hands to the soil and it began to glow. Kenma could feel all of Hinata’s magic flowing through him and into the soil, and it made him giddy. He let out a delighted laugh, making Hinata look up and laugh with him. Kenma got caught in those brilliant brown eyes for a small eternity until Hinata looked back down at the pot and Kenma did the same. He gasped.

  


Growing out of what was once empty soil was a sunflower, just tall enough to be at eye-level with Kenma. It unfurled golden petals in a glorious halo of color. Hinata let go of Kenma’s hands and beamed.

  


“It’s beautiful,” Kenma said. Hinata blushed and took a deep breath, as though to steady himself.

  


“It’s a bond flower,” he said. “It’s difficult magic, and it usually doesn’t work. But if it does, it means the bond between two people is really strong. It represents a lot of trust between them, and history, and a future, and… And sorry, I’m babbling. The point is, I would never hurt you, Kenma, never ever. And I know what I’m asking when I ask you to trust me. But I am. Asking you to trust me, that is. And yeah.” Hinata took another shaky breath and looked down.

  


Kenma had no words. There was nothing he could say that would describe the fluttery, swooshy, warm feeling in his heart or the tears in his eyes or the shaking in his hands. So he did something without words. He leaned around the sunflower and reached out to tilt Hinata’s chin up. He looked him in the eye to give him a chance to pull away, then closed the distance and kissed him.

  


Hinata kissed him back. It was awkward and too eager and a little off-center, but Kenma found that he simply didn’t care that Hinata was a bad kisser. He was kissing Kenma and that was all that mattered. Then he pulled away and rested his forehead against Kenma’s.

  


“Wow,” he breathed. “I’ve been waiting for that for so long.”

  


Kenma had too. He considered telling Hinata that, but decided it would be too embarrassing and instead he kissed him again. Hinata giggled into the kiss, the most wonderful sound Kenma had ever heard. He closed his eyes and let the kiss and the boy kissing him take him far, far away.

  


-

  


When Shouyou woke the next morning in a bed that wasn’t his, his first thought was absolute panic. Then Kenma shifted beside him and it melted into absolute wonder. He reached out to brush Kenma’s hair off his cheek, but hesitated.

  


If he made contact, it was sure to all come crashing down around him, bursting like a soap bubble of a dream. Or worse, it could turn out to be real, and Kenma could regret all of it. The panic began to rise in Shouyou’s throat again, but then Kenma’s eyes flickered open and caught sight of Shouyou.

  


He smiled.

  


“Hey,” Kenma whispered. Shouyou’s heart beat faster in his chest.

  


“Hey,” he replied. He let the backs of his fingers make contact at last, surprised as always at just how soft and smooth Kenma’s skin was. He brushed Kenma’s hair aside, gently, so gently, running his fingers through golden locks. “You need a haircut,” he murmured.

  


“I think I like it long,” Kenma replied.

  


“Then I like it long too,” Shouyou said. Kenma wrinkled his nose.

  


“Sappy,” he muttered.

  


“Your sappy,” Shouyou said.

  


“My sappy,” Kenma agreed. He smiled up at Shouyou, and Shouyou could take it no longer. He shuffled forward and kissed him.

  


On Kenma’s lips, Shouyou tasted a promise. All their mornings spent together like this, wrapped up in each other’s arms, never growing tired of one another’s company, never giving one another up. Then a thought occurred to Shouyou, so horrible and true that he broke the kiss.

  


“What happens to you when I die?” he whispered.

  


“What do you mean?” Kenma asked.

  


“I mean, you’re immortal, right? So, what happens to you when I die? There’s gonna come a time when we can’t be together anymore, because I’ll reach the end of my lifespan and you won’t. What then?”

  


“When you die…” Kenma said, looking up at the ceiling. He took a deep breath through his nose. “When you die, I die too,” he said.

  


“What do you mean by that?” Shouyou asked.

  


“I mean, I don’t intend to outlive you. Not by long, anyway.” Kenma’s meaning sank in and Shouyou sat bolt upright.

  


“You can’t do that,” he said. “I can’t imagine a world without you!”

  


“You won’t have to,” Kenma said, like it was a promise. “You’ll be gone, Shouyou, and so will I. Neither of us will ever have to live without the other.”

  


“Fine then,” Shouyou huffed. “Then I’ll just have to compromise and live forever.”

  


“Sounds good,” Kenma laughed. He reached out and pulled Shouyou down on top of him. Shouyou snuggled into him and closed his eyes, but the wheels in his head were turning.

  


Immortality. It had to be possible. There were so many stories about it, so many creatures out there that were functionally immortal, so many legends of mortals who had found the key. Shouyou knew only a small portion of them, but it was enough to inspire his imagination. A crazy part of his brain whispered the answer to him and he went very still.

  


“Hey, random question,” he said. “How old are you?”

  


“Twenty-three,” murmured Kenma, like he was already falling back asleep. Shouyou poked him in the side.

  


“No, really,” he said.

  


“No, really. I’m twenty-three. I was an infant in faerie years when my birth parents dropped me off with my human parents. It’s part of why I decided to stay here instead of going back. Why do you ask?”

  


“Random curiosity,” Shouyou said. Kenma huffed through his nose. “Do you ever think about it?” Shouyou asked.

  


“About what?”

  


“About the faerie world,” Shouyou said. “About going back, experiencing the wonders of the court, finding out about your heritage. Doesn’t it ever appeal to you?”

  


“Not really,” Kenma said. “I never had much interest in it.”

  


“Never?”

  


“Why is that so hard to believe?” Kenma asked, idly running his fingers up and down Shouyou’s spine. “It’s a place I have no memory of, that abandoned me for some human kid I’ve never met. Does it interest you?”

  


“It does,” Shouyou said. His own honesty surprised him.

  


“Why?”

  


“I don’t know.” That was a lie. Shouyou knew exactly why he was interested in the faerie world. It was a place where humans went and never returned from, where they remained unchanging and eternal. Like Kenma. If Shouyou could just figure out how to connect that thought to the next one in line, he could find a way to be with Kenma, forever.

  


But thoughts proved elusive when Kenma was humming under his breath, his eyes closed and his face content. This perfect person Shouyou had fallen completely in love with was within his grasp, and honestly that was all that mattered in that moment. He told himself to enjoy it while he could, and worry about the rest later.

  


So he did.

  


-

  


Kenma knew that Hinata wasn’t done thinking about the future. He knew that Hinata was the kind of person to obsess over something, to pursue it with dogged determination until he had broken it into pieces and figured out how it worked. And he knew that he had made it worse by being so honest with Hinata. But Kenma was done hiding the truth from him, and was ready to begin their lives working together for each other’s good.

  


He told Hinata as much when they were making breakfast together. Or rather, an early lunch. Hinata furrowed his brow and looked away from the pancakes he was babysitting.

  


“Why do you say that?” he asked.

  


“Because you’re plotting something,” Kenma said. “Don’t try to deny it, Shouyou, I know you too well. But, whatever harebrained scheme you’re coming up with, I’m going to go along with. Provided you let me _go along_ with it, not keep me out. Don’t make me follow you kicking and screaming. Let me be a part of your life.”

  


Hinata leaned up on his tiptoes to kiss Kenma on the forehead. “That’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. “And I’m trying to be more than a part of yours. I’m trying to be there for the whole thing.”

  


“You will be,” Kenma promised.

  


“I will.” It was more of a challenge than a promise, but Kenma looked into Hinata’s eyes and accepted the challenge and all the danger that went along with it. Hinata must have seen that acceptance, because he leaned up and kissed Kenma desperately. Kenma clung to Hinata and kissed him with everything he had. “I won’t lose you,” Hinata whispered against Kenma’s lips.

  


“You never will,” Kenma promised.

  


They spent the rest of that weekend tangled up in one another, only separating from one another on Sunday evening when Hinata remembered some last minute homework he had to get done. Even then, Kenma sat at his feet with a game console in his hands, leaning against Hinata’s shin. He bit back a sigh.

  


“What’s wrong?” Hinata asked.

  


“Do your homework,” Kenma replied.

  


“I am,” Hinata replied. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  


“It’s just. This whole thing feels like a dream.” Kenma wrinkled his nose at how cliched those words were, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  


“You mean, like it’s all going to fall apart when we go back to the real world tomorrow?” Hinata asked. Kenma nodded. “Come here.”

  


Kenma considered telling Hinata he had homework to do, and that really it was more important than Kenma. But then the part of him that wanted to snuggle won out and he climbed up into Hinata’s lap. Hinata hooked his chin on Kenma’s shoulder and rocked them back and forth gently.

  


“I promise I’ll be here when you wake up tomorrow,” he said. “I promise I’ll always be there when you wake up.”

  


“That’s not a promise you can keep,” Kenma said.

  


“Watch me,” Hinata replied, puffing up his chest. Kenma laughed.

  


“You sound like Kuro,” he said. “I should probably tell him we’re together now.”

  


“He probably knows, since you haven’t talked to him since Friday afternoon,” Hinata said. “Either that or you’re dead in a ditch somewhere, but I think he would have come pounding down our door if he thought that.” Kenma snorted.

  


“You’re probably right.” He made a face. “He’s gonna give me so much shit for this.”

  


“How so?”

  


“He’s been telling me to ask you out for years now,” Kenma said. “He’s going to be over the moon when he finds out we actually managed to get together. He’s going to get that grin on his face, the one I hate, and it’s going to suck.”

  


“You’ll survive,” Hinata laughed. He squeezed Kenma around the waist, and for that moment, everything was absolutely perfect.

  


-

  


Shouyou set to work as soon as he had a break at school on Monday. He went to the university library with the determination to pull every book they had on faeries and faerie lore. But then he saw the sheer number of them and decided to start with three.

  


They weren’t much help. All the stories Shouyou found had horrible, twisted endings in which the human who achieved immortality spent the rest of eternity in pain and misery. That wasn’t what he wanted: he just wanted to be with Kenma, for the rest of Kenma’s life. With a snort and a wave of his hand, he sent the books soaring back to their places on the shelves. He groaned and dropped his head onto the table.

  


“Chibi-chan~” came a familiar, smarmy voice. Shouyou raised his head to see his doom coming toward him and groaned.

  


“Kuroo-san, you haven’t been a student here for two years,” he said. “Why do they keep letting you back in?”

  


“Because this library has a better o-chem section than mine, and I need to work on my thesis,” Kuroo said, waving his hand in front of his face as though to brush Shouyou’s question away. He plunked down into the chair across from Shouyou. “Anywhoozles, I have a question for you, short stack. Why is it that neither you nor Kenma decided to tell your favorite senpai that you had finally sealed the deal?”

  


“I texted Bokuto-senpai this morning,” Shouyou said.

  


“And that constitutes telling me, how?” Kuroo asked.

  


“ _Oh._ You said my favorite senpai, so I just assumed you meant Bokuto-senpai. We figured we didn’t need to tell you, ‘cause you probably figured it out yourself. You’re so smart and all.”

  


“Flattery will get you everywhere, Hinata,” Kuroo simpered.

  


“What are you really doing here?” Shouyou asked. “You don’t have any books, and the chemistry section is two floors up. Were you looking for me?”

  


“I was. The snake told me I should.”

  


“You should be nicer to Daishou-san,” Shouyou said.

  


“You should mind your own business,” Kuroo shot back. “Anyway, he told me you probably didn’t know about Kenma until this weekend, and would need someone to talk to. So, was he wrong? Because he owes me lunch if he’s wrong?”

  


“How long have you known about Kenma?” Shouyou asked.

  


“Damn, now I owe him lunch,” Kuroo sighed. “Okay. He told me when I was ten and he was nine, but I’ve known something was up with him longer than that. Why do you ask?”

  


“It never freaked you out?” Shouyou asked.

  


“Is it freaking you out?” Kuroo shot back. Shouyou shook his head.

  


“No, it’s not that, it’s just-” Shouyou didn’t know how to put his dilemma into words that Kuroo would understand. He took a deep breath and gave it his best shot. “Kenma says he has no intention of outliving me,” he said, waving his arms around in a way to try and convey that Kenma meant to take his own life if he ever lost Shouyou. Kuroo’s eyes grew narrow.

  


“ _That_ is not allowed to happen,” Kuroo growled.

  


“Exactly! I knew you would get it! So I’m trying to figure out a way to keep that from happening.” Kuroo made a small _ah_ noise in the back of his throat.

  


“You’re looking for the elixir of life,” he said.

  


“The what now?” Shouyou asked.

  


“The elixir of life,” Kuroo repeated slowly. “It’s a legend I heard once upon a time. Actually, I think Kenma was the one who told it to me. You might want to check in with him on that one.”

  


“The elixir of life,” Shouyou repeated, grabbing a pen and scribbling on his palm. “Thanks, Kuroo-san! I’ll ask him about it as soon as I get home!”

  


As soon as he got home turned out to be sooner than usual, thanks to a canceled class and a quick jog through the park to get back to their apartment. He found Kenma working on the couch, his headphones on and his face sour. He smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Kenma’s head, glad that he could do that at last, then wandered off to find something to amuse himself until Kenma got done with whatever he was doing.

  


Kenma came and found him nearly an hour later, flopping into his lap with a heavy sigh. Shouyou smiled and ran his fingers through Kenma’s hair.

  


“Long day?” he asked.

  


“The worst,” Kenma replied. “Tell me something to distract me.”

  


“I ran into Kuroo-san at the library today,” Shouyou said. Kenma made a face. “Oh come on, you love him and you know it.”

  


“He’s a pain in the ass,” Kenma said. “You sound like he put something on your mind.”

  


“He did,” Shouyou said slowly. “But I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”

  


“Just tell me,” Kenma said. “You promised to let me be a part of this misadventure, remember?”

  


Shouyou did. He took a deep breath through his nose. “He said you told him a legend once, about the elixir of life.”

  


“I did,” Kenma said. “When I was a kid and I figured out what I was, I spent a lot of time researching ways to make myself normal. I didn’t come across much, but I did find a lot of ways for humans to become immortal. The most common one was the elixir of life.”

  


“What is it?” Shouyou asked.

  


“It’s a potion, brewed from three drops of blood of the faerie queen,” Kenma replied. “It turns enemies of the queen to dust, but to those who have found favor with her it grants one boon, usually the immortal life of a faerie. I don’t think it exists, though.”

  


“Why not?” Shouyou asked.

  


“Because if it did, more people would know about it. People would be flocking to the fair court. And we’d see more immortal humans. People wouldn’t be able to hide it from everyone, but every lead I’ve tracked down has been false. So. I don’t think it exists.”

  


“But if it did,” Shouyou sighed.

  


“If it did, would you really do it?” Kenma asked. “Would you really give up your mortality, the thing that makes you human, for me?”

  


“I would give up anything for you, Kenma,” Shouyou said seriously.

  


“I know you would,” Kenma sighed. “I would do the same for you.” He hesitated for a moment, then sat up. “There’s another way,” he said.

  


“What other way?” Shouyou asked. Kenma wouldn’t look at him, but a blush was riding high on his cheeks. Kenma shook his head, then turned to look at Shouyou.

  


“Will you marry me?” he asked.

  


Shouyou’s ears were ringing. He knew there was no way he had heard what he’d thought he’d heard. Not from Kenma, of all people.

  


“What?” he whispered. Kenma’s cheeks grew darker, but he held his ground.

  


“Will you marry me?” he repeated. “Will you spend the rest of your life with me as partners, forsaking all others, to have and to hold and all that nonsense?”

  


“I mean, yes?” Shouyou said. Kenma shook his head.

  


“I’m not asking you lightly,” he said. “If you make this bond with me, you can’t take it back. Faeries mate for life, you know. And our lives are very long.”

  


“I know that, Kenma,” he said. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I thought you knew that.”

  


“Then,” Kenma said, taking a deep breath and glancing away, then back to Shouyou, “we need to go see Kuro.”

  


“Why’s that?” Shouyou asked.

  


“Because he’s the only person I know who can perform a faerie wedding.”

  


“Oh, wow, you mean right now,” Shouyou said. “Okay, let me just change out of these clothes, they’re all sweaty, and maybe comb my hair and-”

  


“No,” Kenma said. “Right now. Before I change my mind.”

  


Shouyou reached out and took Kenma’s hand. “Would you really change your mind about this?” he asked. “Because I don’t want to do it if it’s not what you want.”

  


“It is what I want,” Kenma said. “It’s just scary.”

  


“The future is always scary,” Shouyou murmured, brushing his thumb over Kenma’s knuckles. “But I’m here to face it with you, no matter what happens. Okay?”

  


“Okay.”

  


-

  


Kuroo would not stop laughing. Kenma was ready to turn around and go back home, and still Kuroo laughed on. Kenma raised an eyebrow and turned to go, tugging on Hinata’s hand.

  


“Okay, okay, wait,” Kuroo giggled. “I’m sorry, come back.”

  


“Are you finished?” Kenma asked.

  


“I’m sorry, it’s just, three days ago you were in here sobbing on my couch because you thought you couldn’t be together, and now you’re asking me to marry you two. It’s hilarious.”

  


“We can go find someone else,” Kenma threatened.

  


“Don’t you dare,” Kuroo growled. “You promised me I could do this.”

  


“When I was twelve,” Kenma replied.

  


“A promise is a promise. Now. Witnesses?”

  


“You and Daishou will have to do,” Kenma said. “I know he’s in there. Tell him to put a shirt on and get out here.”

  


“How do you know- never mind. I’ll go get him.” Kuroo disappeared and Kenma tugged Hinata into Kuroo’s apartment.

  


“You sure about this?” Hinata asked. “Not that I’m having doubts or anything, but like you said, there’s no going back. We’ve only been dating for three days.”

  


Kenma took a long look at Hinata, at his beautiful, shining face. He thought of how free he was with his magic and his love, how he could charm the moon out of the sky and convince the ocean to part just to show him its delights. He thought of the day they’d met, the shy, lost kid on his phone, unwilling to talk to strangers, and the beautiful angel who had befriended him anyway. He smiled.

  


“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” he said.

  


“Okay,” Hinata said simply. “Me either.” Just at that moment, Kuroo and Daishou emerged from Kuroo’s bedroom, Kuroo holding a book and Daishou looking rumpled and irritated. The irritation melted away when he caught sight of Kenma and Hinata standing in the living room.

  


“You two sure about this?” he asked. Kenma snorted.

  


“We are,” Shouyou said, barely holding on to a giggle.

  


“Is it time yet?” Kuroo asked, probably to himself, as he looked out the window. “You’re lucky you didn’t wait another day, Kenma,” he said.

  


“Why’s that?” Hinata asked.

  


“Because it has to be done on a half moon,” Kenma replied. “Not that waiting two weeks would have been all that bad, but you might have done something stupid in the meantime and then where would we be?”

  


“Hey!”

  


Kenma smiled and kissed the pout off of Hinata’s lips. Hinata perked up and grinned back at him.

  


“Okay, love birds, the moon is rising. Time to start. Last chance to back out, kitten.” Kenma glared at Kuroo and he held up a hand. “Okay, okay, never mind,” he said. “Now, how to start… Ah. I need three drops of blood from each of you.”

  


“Huh,” Hinata said. “Like the three drops of the faerie queen’s blood.”

  


“Exactly,” Kenma said, and took the needle Kuroo was offering him. He grimaced as he pricked his finger, then handed it to Hinata. Carefully, he squeezed three drops of blood onto the page Kuroo held out, and watched as Hinata did the same.

  


“Okay,” Kuroo said, closing the book.

  


“That’s it?” Hinata asked.

  


“That’s it, chibi-chan,” Kuroo replied.

  


“We’ll have a bigger ceremony later,” Kenma said.

  


Kuroo nodded. “Three drops of blood mingling on a contract, with a witness known to both. Faerie weddings are way simpler than human ones. But you should start to feel the effects soon enough.”

  


“Thank you, Kuro, that’s enough,” Kenma said, grabbing Hinata’s hand and dragging him out of the apartment.

  


_What was that all about_ , thought Hinata, and Kenma staggered, leaning against the wall outside Kuroo’s apartment for support.

  


“Kenma?”

  


It had worked. Kenma could hear Hinata’s thoughts, which meant that Hinata could hear Kenma’s as well.

  


“ _Woah_ ,” Hinata said, pressing a hand to his forehead. His legs crumpled and Kenma grimaced. He had meant for this to wait until they had gotten home, but things rarely worked out the way he wanted them to. “That’s not your fault,” Hinata said. Kenma smiled.

  


“You mean that,” he said. Hinata grinned and thought just how much he loved Kenma, an amount that nearly bowled him over. “Okay,” he said. “No more mind reading until we get home. Keep your thoughts to yourself and I’ll explain what happened on the way.”

  


“What do you mean, what happened?” Hinata asked. Kenma smiled at him.

  


“Congratulations, Shouyou,” he said. “You’re half faerie now.”

  


“What do you mean by that?”

  


Kenma sent him a long and complicated thought, an explanation of the ceremony they had performed and the consequences it had.

  


“So you’re telling me that all this time you could just share your immortal life with someone, whenever you wanted?” Hinata asked.

  


“It could only work once,” Kenma said. “I had to wait for the right person. I thought I would wait for centuries, like most faeries do, but then I met you. You changed my life, Shouyou. You’re the only person I want to share it with.”

  


“Wow,” Hinata said softly. Then he grinned and shouted, “Wow!”

  


Kenma smiled. He took his husband’s hand.

  


“Husband,” Hinata repeated, and grinned wider. “I’m your husband,” he said.

  


“You are,” Kenma agreed. “And I’m yours. Forever.”

  


“Forever,” Hinata murmured. He squeezed Kenma’s hand. “Let’s get started.”

  


**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://notsuchasecret.tumblr.com)


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